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Use Illustrator artwork in Photoshop

Learn how to import and export artwork between Illustrator and Photoshop.

Importing Illustrator files for editing in Photoshop and vice versa opens up exciting possibilities when designing artwork involving a combination of vector and bitmap objects. The editing capabilities for your imported assets and their final output quality depend on their export properties.

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Export artwork as .psd file in a few simple steps.

Read on to learn how to choose a workflow suited to your design outcome. You can also explore the best practices to optimize the size and quality of your artwork.

Suggested reading

Familiarize yourself with these concepts before you choose a workflow that suits your design needs:

Move artwork between Illustrator and Photoshop

Just like you can work with Photoshop designs in Illustrator, there are multiple ways to use Illustrator files in Photoshop, depending on how you plan to modify your artwork.

Read on to learn how best to work with Illustrator files within Photoshop:

Export as a .PSD file

You can use the PSD format to export your Illustrator files into Photoshop that preserves layers, resolution, and color profiles.

When you export a .PSD file, the Illustrator layers are preserved as rasterized layers.  In contrast, the layer groups and sublayers are converted into folders and subfolders. If your Illustrator artwork contains unsupported Photoshop® Elements like colors, themes, brushes, graphics, and text, Illustrator preserves the appearance of the artwork.

To export your Illustrator artwork into Photoshop, follow these steps:

  1. Select File > Export As and choose Photoshop (.PSD).

  2. Click Export and select options based on your requirements.

To edit your artwork, ensure that you have not applied Overprint fill or Transparency effects, and Export using these settings:

  1. Select File > Export > Export As.

  2. Select the Write Layers and Maximum Editability.

Export as a .PSD file.


Copy and paste as smart objects

You can easily move artwork between Illustrator and Photoshop with Smart Objects, which preserve the source content with its original characteristics. This allows you to edit your artwork nondestructively.

When you resize a smart object, the clarity is retained, unlike pixel-based layers that increase the document resolution and size.

To create a smart object, choose one of the following options:

  1. Copy In Illustrator and select the Smart Object option when you:

    • Copy-paste your graphic directly into Photoshop as a smart layer
    • Drag an Illustrator file into Photoshop as a smart object layer
  2. Open as Smart Object in a new Photoshop document.

Paste as Smart Object.

Copy and paste as Layers

You can import Illustrator layers into Photoshop and continue to work on them while maintaining their visual and functional efficacy and layer structure. Once you paste your object as a type or shape layer, it will have its own properties panel, where you can edit its appearance and modify the text or shape, respectively.

Copy the content from Illustrator and paste it into Photoshop using the Layers option from the dialog box. 

Some copy-paste features that you can try out with this latest updated workflow are : 

  • Vector shapes and paths are created using the Shape tool or Shaper tool as Shape and Path Layers. These include line, rectangle and rounded rectangle, polygons, ellipse, star, and paths created using the pen tool or compound path. 
  • Text objects that are created using Type tools such as Text Layers can include point text, area text, and on-path text.
  • Clipping masks as vector masks. 
  • Pixel layers, symbols, Smart Objects, Patterns, Gradient Mesh, Groups, Distort Layers, Flare Tool as pixel layers.
Paste as Layers
Paste as Layers.

You can bring point text, area text, and on-path text objects created in Illustrator to Photoshop as live editable text layers. Once pasted in Photoshop, you can edit various properties of text layers, such as text color, size, font, alignment, etc. using the Properties Panel.

Place an embedded or linked file into Photoshop

If you want to reuse design elements without increasing the file size, linked artwork is your best option. However, if you do not want to relink your files, you can embed your artwork.

To place your Illustrator artwork in a Photoshop document, Select File > Place as linked or File > Place as embedded based on your requirements.

When you link your artwork, any changes you make to the source file in Illustrator are reflected in Photoshop, but you can save your files in smaller resolutions.

If the files are embedded, they are saved as large documents.

Place embedded or linked file

A. Linked  B. Embedded 

For more information on how to place an Illustrator artwork in Photoshop and vice versa, watch this 25-second video.

Best practices for optimal file management

The editing capabilities of your imported assets and their final output quality depends on how you export your artwork. While you move your artwork from Illustrator to Photoshop, ensure to optimize the size and quality of your artwork.

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